Triglycerides are derivatives of glycerol wherein each of the hydroxyl groups of glycerol is derivatized by an ester linked fatty acid.
Glycerol derivatives comprising a single fatty unsaturated ether chain with an acyl group to form a diglyceride have been suggested by observing degradation products from cleavage of phosphoplasmalogens and may be the result of enzymatic cleavage of phosphoglycerides, such as by phospholipase C.
Bass et al. (J. Biol. Chem., 264, 19610-19617, 1989), demonstrated that an alkyl-acyl diglyceride had the paradoxical effect of activating the respiratory burst of polymorphic mononuclear leucocytes at low concentrations and inhibiting the respiratory burst at high concentrations. Veldhoven et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm., 187, 209-216, 1992, demonstrated that levels of alkylacylglycerol were elevated following HIV infection of CEM cells and suggested that such molecules may fulfill a mediator role of unknown mechanism.
The omentum is known to mediate inflammatory responses and to stimulate angiogenesis. Vineberg et al., Can. Med. Assoc., 90, 717-722, 1964; Goldsmith et al., Arch. Surg., 106, 695-698, 1973.
The lipid composition of omentum has been investigated. Rabinowitz et al., Lipids, 13, 317-322, 1978; McCluer et al., Lipids, 22, 229-235, 1987 and 24, 951-956, 1989.